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The Best Opening Lap in F1 History

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Date: 11 April 1993
Venue: Donington Park
Main Cast: Ayrton Senna da Silva
Supporting Casts: Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Karl Wendlinger & Michael Schumacher
Fixture: European Grand Prix (Race #3 of the 1993 Formula 1 Fixture)

Script: It was a wet, rainy afternoon on raceday, and Lord Senna, in an under-powered McLaren, qualified 4th on the grid, behind the frontrunners of the far superior Williams team (polesetter Alain Prost & Damon Hill), and a certain up & coming young German driver by the name of Michael Schumacher of the Benetton team qualified 3rd.

When the green lights (no 5 red lights in those days) illuminated, the mighty Williams duo rocketed off to lead the pack and Lord Senna found himself in 5th position approaching the first corner due an explosive start from Sauber's Karl Wendlinger from 5th place to 3rd. As Lord Senna tried to pass Schumacher for 4th place, the German closed him down with the infamous patented "Schumi Chop". Lord Senna lost a place but quickly regained it by going the opposite direction of Schumi and passing him for good.

As the Craner curve approached, all the drivers kept in a single file on the inside, not daring to go off the racing line in the wet conditions. But Lord Senna moved right to take the outside line and overtook Wendlinger for third position.

2 corners later, Lord Senna sliced past Damon Hill on the inside for 2nd place and with polesetter Alain Prost now in his sight, the Brasilian passed his former teammate after the S-bend with an off-the-limit piece of late breaking before the end of Lap 1.

The race was far from over as the weather conditions changed continuously that afternoon. The rain stopped, started, stopped & started and it was a game of pit stop poker as teams gambled on their type choice. Lord Senna eventually won the race comfortably, and at one stage, with the rain falling hard, was even FASTER on SLICK tyres than the wet-tyred Williams cars.

Without doubt, the best ever opening lap in F1 history and Lord Senna the greatest racer of all time!


Merry X'mas everyone & accept this as my X'mas present
(Right click the link & select "Save target as")

this a bit more gossip from paul stoddart, this is taken from the itv website:




Paul Stoddart has revealed that Ferrari are subsidised by the other nine teams on the grid.

The Minardi boss made the dramatic disclosure in an interview that appears in the latest edition of F1 Racing magazine.

Asked if he thought the FIA were under the thumb of Ferrari, Stoddart replied: “No, I just think... Ferrari are special.

“Why do all the other teams pay money, real chequebook-out money, to Ferrari every year, under the Concorde Agreement?

“Why on earth, with our tight finances, do Minardi, for example, have to pay money to Ferrari every year? There’s no good reason for it.

"The answer we’re given is that it’s ‘in recognition of their historical contribution to the sport’.”

Stoddart is also unhappy with the influence that the world champions have over the sport’s regulations.

He said: “There’s talk, and I can’t say if it’s true or not, that the 2005 regulations were written by, among others, 18 people from Ferrari.

"It’s only paddock talk, of course – but then again, Max has openly conceded that the FIA consulted Ferrari, hasn’t he?

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Ferrari, particularly for Michael (Schumacher), but if a team are totally dominating the championship, and have done for years and will do so for the next few years, then it adds insult to injury to let these people write the rules because it’s fairly obvious they’ll write them in a way that suits them.

“Believe me, Ferrari are going to win the 2005 and 2006 titles, and there’s nothing any of us can do about it.”

For the full explosive interview with Stoddart, check out the February edition of F1 Racing magazine - on sale tomorrow.

Well I come back to see this some kinda accusation made up by Minardi bos, Paul Stoddart...

Lets see...as usual, seems far fetched nothing more for public to see this reveal. My capacity couldn't give you detailed nor depth answer to this Stoddart's phrase on to what exactly happen during the paddock. The inner circle amongst Ferrari management and the twin F1 policy holder, Mr.E and Mosley might already have known this alleged special connection long time ago which made up by media to live it up the headlines to sold-out purpose. I would say, we can pick it up an instance why the regulations made up into drastical last year which allegedly *detained* their authority in recent years. But the fact tells the scene from at Albert Park to following 14 wins of 18 round, Scuderia display were incredibly shocking, made other teams as if 10 feet left behind technically and F2004 had been claimed as one of the best/greatest car in F1 history.

Stoddart may claim of what he seen. But Ferrari's distribution of what regulations supposed to be is no big deal (remains corridor as part of participant) to learn further for FIA itself, and not all in way of their input that suits FIA anyhow. I think to consult anything at F1 teams for FIA own sake as well how to improve in keep managing well of F1 thus far.

So that's it. It arrived. 2005 season. Again battles in circuts and out.

!Forza Schumi!
!Forza Ferrari!

The sun shone down on Giancarlo Fisichella in Qualifying One for the Australian GP as the Renault driver got the best of the mixed conditions and claimed provisional P1.
On a rapidly drying track Fisichella had lowered the fastest time to a 1:33.171. However, just as he crossed the finish line the rain pelted down in Melbourne ruining Michael Schumacher's lap and sending Takuma Sato into the wall.

As a result, the drivers who posted times just before Fisi occupied the provisional front rows of the grid with Jarno Trulli second, home favourite Mark Webber third and Jacques Villeneuve an incredible fourth in his debut race for Sauber.

Big losers were the men running last, Fernando Alonso, the two Ferraris and the two McLarens. In a session rich with irony Michael Schumacher ended up solidly beaten by the two hastily modified Minardis.

With a drying track the biggest determining factor was always going to be the order of drivers taking to the circuit. As Ferrari technical chief Ross Brawn said before the action started. “We’ll be at the mercy of the weather – and the kind of window you get. What we really want is a very wet track or a very dry track.” In the end he got a very wet track.

First out were the rookie drivers who didn’t compete in 2004. Cristijan Albers was the poor unfortunate who had to take to the circuit first in his hastily adapted Minardi. Albers hit the track in full wet weather gear having had precious little running after Minardi missed Friday free practice.

He took too much speed into the first turn but held the car on the road and dodged the standing water on his way round to a 1.49.230. Team-mate Patrick Friesacher, a graduate from last year’s F3000 championship had a big spin in Saturday morning practice and was more wary as a result. His 1:50.864 was run with bright sunlight lighting up the spray and puddles.

Narain Karthikeyan was next out. The Indian had the whole of his rear end changed on the Jordan this morning after an engine fire. Karthikeyan had a much more controlled lap than the previous two drivers, his 1:44.357 was over four and a half seconds quicker.

Tiago Monteiro in the second Jordan seemed less committed than his team-mate and sp it proved as the car crossed the line with a 1:46.846.

Jenson Button was the first of the class of 2004 out on the track being the first person to retire from the last race of the 2004 season. Qualifying 1 being run in the reverse order of that race. Button strapped on intermediates tyres as the circuit started to dry out.

Jenson stuck in a 1:41.512 and it looked set for every successive driver to lower that time. The Brit was surely going to start the race near the back. “We didn’t have a good balance,” JB reported afterwards, already talking about the next race in Malaysia before he’d qualified for the first one. However this was before the rain came down.

Nick Heidfeld in the BMW-Williams also went for the intermediate tyre and had big nose-twitching moments in Turns 2 and 3. The German was a second and a half up on Button’s first sector time. However Nick understeered wide and lost some of his advantage.on the grass, a 1:39.717 for Nick.

Still on intermediates team-mate Mark Webber was next, and in turn was a second up on Heidfeld’s first sector time. His 1:36.717 gave him a three second gap that Heidfeld was unlikely to pull back.

Christian Klien whose race impact with Webber had ended his 2004 Brazilian GP was next out in the Red Bull and was 0.3 seconds slower after the first sector. In some parts of the circuit a dry line was developing. 1:37.486 was only good enough for P2 though.

Qualifying specialist Jarno Trulli was four tenths up on Webber’s provisional fastest time on his first run in the Toyota. His 1.35.270 lap was another second and a half bite out of the P1 time.

David Coulthard in the Red Bull on intermediates was cautious in the braking zones and lagged behind Trulli’s first sector time. A conservative lap from DC of 1:38.050 which was actually slower than team-mate: “a lot of crabbing and understeer, very poor balance” DC reported on the radio on his inlap.

As DC came back in the sunshine disappeared and heavy clouds started to loom in the background of Albert Park.

Jacques Villeneuve was the first driver out to use dry tyres and promptly lost control of the car on his outlap. Luckily JV didn’t hit anything and kept the Sauber in one piece. Jacques recorded a 1.36.984.

Giancarlo Fisichella in the Renault also had dry tyres and was so quick he overtook the slowing Villeneuve by the middle of his hot lap (though JV had gone off again, during his slow return). Fisi brought his new Renault home with a lightning1.33.171 the fastest by two seconds.

And seconds after finishing his lap, the dark clouds that had been gathering in the previous ten minutes suddenly began to drop their contents on Albert Park.

As Massa took to the track the rain came down in stair rods and Felipe had to slow his lap to a crawl, his Sauber being equipped with dry tyres. Felipe was twenty-seven seconds down in the first sector! He spent the lap crawling in and was actually overtaken by Michael Schumacher on his outlap. Utterly bizarre.

Michael Schumacher already had intermediate tyres strapped on when ideally he would have wanted wets. The World Champion was almost nine seconds down after the first sector. Schumi crawled round to record a dismal 1.57.931 and was 13th out of 14 runners.

He soon became 13th out of 15 as Takuma Sato wiped his BAR-Honda into the wall on the exit of Turn 8 on his outlap. The Japanese driver had the unfortunate distinction of being the first qualifying casualty of 2005. And not even on a hot lap. Replays showed that Michael Schumacher also lost it in the same place as Taku, but held on to a sliding Ferrari rear end.

The session was red-flagged while Taku’s BAR was collected and Ralf Schumacher had to return to the pits in his Toyota.

Though there was a delay, it was still raining when Ralf returned to the track for his first run in anger for his new team. But at least he was equipped with the full extreme wet weather tyre sending out a huge rooster tail of spray.

Ralf was very cautious in the conditions. His lap was six seconds better than his brother but still only one place above him and behind Freisacher’s Minardi.

Next out Fernando Alonso didn’t have a hope in hell of getting near his team-mate but he was significantly quicker than Ralf, running the same tyre. 1.47.708 took him just ahead of the two Minardis.

Ruibens Barrichello was able to show what a Ferrari could do with a full Bridgestone wet tyre. Rubinho managed to jump Alonso and Monteiro with a 1.45.481.

Kimi Raikkonen wasn’t holding back in the difficult conditions and anybody watching on the onboard camera would have had a nervous time of it. Raikkonen managed to muscle his way past Barrichello’s time and claim provisional 10th. McLaren team-mate Montoya was similarly twitchy but slower than Raikkonen after the first sector. Juan Pablo finished with a 1.45.325 and provisional 11th.

So at the end of Qualy 1 we had a topsy turvy grid with the top 10 cars separated by 11 seconds. Because of the huge differences in conditions when the cars went out the gaps are too large for the difference to be made up in dry running.

The only thing that will rob Fisichella of pole will be more rain at the wrong time. The World Champion was twenty-four seconds behind provisional pole. Not even he can sort this one out. Luckiest boy of all was Jacques Villeneuve. After a miserable winter he spun on his first outlap, left the track on his inlap and still grabbed 4th.

This is why we watch F1.

Frank Hopkinson


Times
1 G.Fisichella Renault 1:33.171
2 J.Trulli Toyota 1:35.270
3 M.Webber Williams 1:36.717
4 J.Villeneuve Sauber 1:36.984
5 C.Klien Red Bull Racing 1:37.486
6 D.Coulthard Red Bull Racing 1:38.320
7 N.Heidfeld Williams 1:39.717
8 J.Button BAR 1:41.512
9 N.Karthikeyan Jordan 1:44.357
10 K.Raikkonen McLaren 1:44.997
11 J.P.Montoya McLaren 1:45.325
12 R.Barrichello Ferrari 1:45.481
13 T.Monteiro Jordan 1:46.846
14 F.Alonso Renault 1:47.708
15 C.Albers Minardi 1:49.230
16 P.Friesacher Minardi 1:50.864
17 R.Schumacher Toyota 1:51.495
18 M.Schumacher Ferrari 1:57.931
19 F.Massa Sauber No time
20 T.Sato BAR NO time

Source: PlanetF1.com


Yes! The F1 season will begin tomorrow in Melbourne and it seems Fisi will grab pole barring a disaster lap in Q2 (The times set in Q1 & Q2 will be averaged, with the one driver with the best aggregate time over the 2 sessions being the pole winner ). Surprisingly Schumi got outpaced by the Minardis in Q1

It's gonna be a helluva interesting race

PS: rae, are you joining the XT F1 Prediction League? If yes, please read the rules and post your predictions by today.

this will be Rubens and Juan Pablo's year

I'm glad that Fisichella represents Renault this season. He is a great F1-driver and I hope that he'll finally be able to show his skills.

There were some problems with Minardi and it was said that they may not be allowed to compete because of some restrictions, however I think that they will be able to start this season because I want Friesacher to represent Austria in a better way than Klien did. Lauda and Berger should not stay the only Austrian drivers who were successful. However, I suppose that Friesacher will not really manage more than Klien did...I hope what I suppose is wrong

I'm also looking forward to seeing Karthikeyan because of his nationality which isn't very common in the F1. He's from India, isn't he`? We mostly have drivers from Finland, Germany, Italy and the South American countries have also become common, but India? I can't remember any Indian F1-pilot, do you?

Final Classification

1. Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)
2. Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)
3. Fernando Alonso (Renault)
4. David Coulthard (Red Bull)
5. Mark Webber (Williams)
6. Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren)
7. Christian Klien (Red Bull)
8. Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren)

Great start to the F1 season by Renault. Fisi won the race comfortably having led from start to finish after grabbing pole position due to some good fortune in the weather conditions during his qualifying session. Impressive display from debutants Red Bull (formerly Jaguar) as both drivers finished in point scoring positions Could this year finally be DC's year?

McLaren finished in 6th & 8th place after starting the race from the middle of the grid due to bad luck in qualifying where both Montoya and Raikkonen had to do their flying lap in the downpour on a wet track. Michael Schumacher once again executed his infamous Schumi chop as Nick Heidfeld attempted an overtaking move, but this time he closed the door too early and as a result the two cars collided ending the races of both the German drivers prematurely. Schumi's teammate, Barrichello, drove a strong race to finish in 2nd position after starting the race from 11th place on the grid.

Interersting, both BAR drivers Jenson Button and Takuma Sato pitted on their last lap the race and did not cross the finishing line, taking advantage of the loophole in the new rules, and they will race with new engines in Sepang.

difficult to tell what to make of today's race, firstly the renaults look very strong and perhaps have the fastest car, and the ferrari's don't seem to be too far off renault's pace, red bull were very impressive, coulthard held off webber fairly easily. williams, mclaren, toyota and bar failed to make any impression.

as a ferrari fan, i was dissapointed in schumacher, i think he should be given a 1 match ban, the chop of heidfeld was definatley villieneuve-esuq if not as bad.

Originally Posted by Goirre

this will be Rubens and Juan Pablo's year

I see you consolidate with south americanos

Originally Posted by Lombardia

as a ferrari fan, i was dissapointed in schumacher, i think he should be given a 1 match ban, the chop of heidfeld was definatley villieneuve-esuq if not as bad.

As a Ferrari fan I could say otherwise. heidfeld did a great mistake if he wanted to overtake Schumi in such situation... that was impossible.... he did the same as Sato usually does - do not look to future and do what he wants

Race was not so disappointing as it could be... cuz Nandito showed his class ... and Rubinho also prooved that Ferrari still remains the main challenger for champion title

just in case you forgot about the schedule for 2005 season...


The Formula One Calendar 2005

Dates Grand Prix / Location
Mar 6 Australia / Albert Park
Mar 20 Malaysia / Sepang
Apr 3 Bahrain / Bahrain
Apr 24 San Marino / Imola, Italy
May 8 Spain / Barcelona
May 22 Monaco / Monte Carlo
May 29 Europe / Nurburgring, Germany
Jun 12 Canada / Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Jun 19 United States / Indianapolis
Jul 3 France / Magny Cours
Jul 10 Britain / Silverstone
Jul 24 Germany / Hockenheim
Jul 31 Hungary / Hungaroring, Budapest
Aug 21 Turkey / Istanbul
Sept 4 Italy / Monza
Sept 11 Belgium / Spa-Francorchamps
Sept 25 Brazil / Interlagos
Oct 9 Japan / Suzuka
Oct 16 China / Shanghai

Whos Going To Sepang ???

Originally Posted by sehnsucht79

Whos Going To Sepang ???

I bet you are going........ we have some malay people here in MM, dont we

we do indeed. Jani just turned down a rm 1000 ticket to see the qualifying at the grandstand and a potential ticket on the race day. he claims that 'its better to watch it on tv' and 'he'd rather run around the circuit naked than go with me and his ex gf' ... idiot git missing out on the better things in life

Originally Posted by Goirre

this will be Rubens and Juan Pablo's year

I share your sentiment! I want some Latinos to win the F-1 Series. It's been a while.